Massage is the manipulation of a person's muscles in order to effect a release of muscular tension. It involves many strategies, including kneading and stretching muscles, percussive striking, and vibration. Massage is well known in the fields of medicine, chiropractic, physical therapy and kinesiotherapy. In fact, massage is its own field of practice, requiring study and, in most cases in the US, certification. It is practiced universally around the globe, both professionally and personally, and is recognized as providing some benefits to the emotional and physical health of those receiving it.
In light of the almost universal appeal and recognition of massage, many different styles of massage have been developed, ranging from Shiatsu, Swedish, Deep Tissue, and others, and tools to aid in massage have developed in each discipline. One such tool is known as a massage “roller.” Rollers are cylindrical or semi-cylindrical bodies made of a compliant material, such as foam, which are used in exercise, massage and therapy and other disciplines. Rollers are used for stretching soft tissues, increasing circulation, reducing tension and stress from the soft tissues, improving posture and alignment, increase spinal mobility. Core and corrective exercises can be used with the roller as well.
The present invention is a roller with an internal vibrator so as to aid in massage. While such devices are known in the prior art, they all suffer from a serious drawback answered in the present invention. The drawback is that such vibrating rollers are constructed with a motor and eccentric weight system along the cylindrical axis. However, the positioning of the eccentric weight is key for such systems as there will be stronger vibrations proximate the weight and weaker vibrations further form it. So if the weight is at one end of the roller, vibrations will dissipate as they travel the length of the roller. If the weight is centrally located, vibrations will still dissipate as they travel towards the edges. This is especially noticeable on longer rollers.
One solution is to utilize a plurality of spaced motors, utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,572 (2003). In this case, while vibrations may be more evenly distributed, it is dependent upon a plurality of individual motors which may malfunction or, simply, break. This is problematic if the motor is inaccessible for repair, especially when the motors are totally encased in a support material.
Prior art solutions that use eccentric weights rotating about an axle fail to evenly distribute vibrations to a roller or other massager surface as they generally have only two contact points, one at the motor and one at or by a terminal end of the axle. This localizes all vibrational transmission at those two end points and can cause “weak spots” or “dead zones” along the length of a massager apparatus, especially if they are improperly spaced and allow destructive interference between the two points of contact. Improper placement of a plurality of motors can likewise create this effect.
The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in that the massaging roller of the present invention allows for even distribution of vibrations by utilizing a plurality of eccentric weights and supports that are positioned at different points along a shaft parallel to the axis of the cylinder and are synchronized and positioned for maximum vibrational efficiency. By utilizing a plurality of eccentric weights and strategically placed supports, the vibrations engage in reinforcing behavior as they travel the length of the roller, which keeps vibrations uniform throughout the roller, even in a longer one. By using one motor and one axle, there are fewer parts and less chance of malfunction and easier to replace or fix when malfunction does occur. Two synchronized, cooperating motors may be used in an alternate embodiment of the invention, but this is not preferred for reasons stated above.